Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Pesso.
Hi Samantha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in The Bronx, New York and in 2018 my husband enlisted in the Navy. From then we, along with our now three children, traveled to Hawaii and finally to San Diego, California. As a stay at home mother, I needed an outlet where I could express myself and have my own hobbies, thus creating Molly Luxe Boutique. My original plan was to continue my career as a hairstylist or put my Bachelor’s degree to use but it just wasn’t feasible with my schedule. Instead of staying “lost” I decided to take action and begin to mold my business to transition from a “side hobby” to an established business. The road hasn’t been easy, there has been several setbacks but I continue to push forward.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely had its ups and downs. Finding funding is the most difficult part and having a limited schedule for pop up shops and conventional advertising has been tough. My biggest struggle thus far has been a car accident in September 2021. I had to close down for a couple of months due to the PCS move to San Diego. My items had to be kept in storage prior to the move because of the typical hiccups of being a military family. If you are familiar with that process, anything that can go wrong will go wrong! The accident was pretty major, my car flipped over several times with my husband and children inside due to a red light runner. I’ve been truly blessed to be able to continue my business, but it has been difficult. Many times I’ve wanted to give up, but I’ve come so far.
As you know, we’re big fans of Molly Luxe Boutique. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Molly Luxe Boutique provides clothing for women who love to stay on trend but also enjoy staying comfortable. Often times we have to choose between style and comfort and I feel like that is ridiculous. I handpick and test every item myself in order to make sure they fit the needs of our customers. Our sets are our most popular items. They’re very comfy and easy “get up and go” items. We take customer service very serious. I handle all order processing, shipping and communications personally. Unlike many other brands, I like to put myself in the shoes of the customer. I’m very proud of how we manage to center the customer’s experience in every level of our business.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I still don’t have a mentor but I would say to use failures as your mentor. Everything is trial and error. There’s no course that can make you successful, you have to put in the work yourself. It’s always a good idea to seek advice or get educated on different topics but many of the courses lately have been overly generic. You can network and meet people in the same industry who you can grow with or you can hire an agency to help you with certain aspects of your business. Just be sure to check reviews. What has worked well with me is just being open and friendly always. Sometimes your name will be spoken in rooms you’re not even in, just based off of how friendly and outgoing you are (and this is coming from an introvert). Break out of your shell, it will be uncomfortable but will pay off.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@shopmollyluxe.com
- Website: www.shopmollyluxe.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopmollyluxe
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mollyluxeboutique
Image Credits:
Angelina Marie Media LLC
